Karachi, 20 January 2023 (TDI): Pakistan and Belgium agreed to further expand and deepen cooperation in information technology, agriculture, food processing, and renewable energy and construction sectors, on Thursday.
The settlement was reached at a meeting between Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah and an eight-person parliamentary delegation from Belgium led by Senator Allessia Claes.
Karl Vanlouwe, Philippe Courard, Georges Dallemagne, and other diplomats were part of the Belgian mission.
The meeting was also attended by the Ministers for Sindh, Sharjeel Memon, Mukesh Chawla, and Qasim Naveed, as well as the Chief Secretary, Sohail Rajput.
Remarks by officials
According to Murad Ali Shah, Belgium is Pakistan’s longtime friend and a significant trading and investment partner.
Mutual cooperation is founded on shared principles such as democracy, pluralism, respect for one another, and trust, as well as shared goals.
The Chief Minister emphasized the value of parliamentary exchanges between the two nations for strengthening bilateral ties.
Murad stated, “These exchanges could be extremely important in improving bilateral ties in fields like trade and commerce.” He continued by saying that our bilateral relations included essential elements of trade and economic relationships.
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While stressing the need to enhance cooperation, Murad highlighted, “Belgium is the 10th largest trading partner of Pakistan. The bilateral trade between both countries had crossed $1.2 billion in 2021.”
“There is a huge scope for cooperation in the higher education and research sector. Several students from Pakistan are opting for Belgian universities for higher studies.” The Chief Minister pointed out. He urged investment in Special Economic Zones (SEZs).
He claimed that Pakistan could supply experts in those fields where there is a dearth of labor in Belgium, including engineers, technicians, computer scientists, and other skilled laborers.
The Chief Minister appreciated the assistance provided by the Belgian Government for flood relief efforts in Pakistan. It is pertinent to note that Belgium has provided 300 tents, a team of experts, and a water purification plant.
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